Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states

Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states

Chapter:

(p.117)
Six Immigrant-targeted activation policies: a comparison of the approaches in the Scandinavian welfare states

Source:

Social Policy Review 24

Author(s):

Karen Nielsen Breidahl

Publisher:

Policy Press

DOI:10.1332/policypress/9781447304470.003.0007

Are the features of the Scandinavian welfare states, such as redistributive income security, reflected in the activation policies introduced in order to promote and ease the integration of immigrants into the labour market? By analysing and comparing the development of activation policies for immigrants in Norway, Sweden and Denmark from the early 1990s until 2010 the chapter illustrates how it is particularly questionable when we are dealing with immigrants as the target group and the elements of activation reforms concerning income security. Despite the traditions regarding the welfare state is common in the three countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden appear quite different on some points when immigrants as a target group is taken into account. In closing, the chapter discusses the underlying factors behind these trends and the implications for the features of the Scandinavian welfare states and immigrants as a target group.

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